NEW YORK – Hours before their first crack at eliminating the Presidents’ Trophy winners, the Washington Capitals preached a certain urgency before Game 5 at Madison Square Garden. Sure, they led the New York Rangers in the second round by two games, only one victory away from advancing to the Eastern Conference finals. Sure, they had time to finish the job. But they knew better than to find comfort in their advantage. After all, most of them had experienced the other side.
“We have a great opportunity here,” defenseman Matt Niskanen said. “We’ve put ourselves in a good position.